White weekend? More snow forecast as the Beast and Emma collide... but when will it get warmer?

Commuters make their way through the snow in Wakefield. Picture Scott Merrylees

Published:14:36Friday 02 March 2018

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The icy grip of Storm Emma and the Beast from the East shows little sign of loosening as more snow is forecast for Yorkshire this weekend amid freezing temperatures and high winds.

Yorkshire has been covered by a blanket of snow for much of the week as the Beast unleashed its full force of Siberian weather.

The arrival of Storm Emma, blowing in from the south, has resulted in a fierce collision of wintry weather that has brought traffic to a standstill, caused chaos on public transport and left flights cancelled.

Blizzard-like conditions brought on by the icy Siberian chill colliding with the moist Atlantic air combined to create the perfect storm and the remnants of this will persist through to the weekend.

Flood alerts have also been issued on the East coast as waters continue to rise, adding further complications and threat to the people of Yorkshire.

Now forecasters are warning there is no immediate end to the big chill with more snowfall expected over the weekend and freezing temperatures into the middle of next week.

Repeated snow showers are expected to rampage northwards from the south-west dumping more snow on already widespread accumulations. Met Office Chief Meteotrologist, Paul Gundersen, said; “It will remain very cold in many places Friday but temperatures will slowly increase from the south, generally up to around 4 or 5C quite widely by the end of the weekend and we could even see up to 9C to 10C in southern areas. It will remain coldest in the east of the country and over the deepest snow cover. “As we head into next week there is likely to be more of a north-south split in weather conditions. There will continue to be a risk of rain, sleet and snow at times. “The less cold air means there will be a gradual thaw, but this will freeze again overnight so ice is likely be an additional overnight hazard together with low cloud and fog.

“Colder conditions will continue in the north, with snow showers, although less heavy and less frequent than of late.”

Meanwhile, a Level 3 cold weather alert is in force for all of England for the coming days. These alerts are issued in association with Public Health England (PHE) for England only and are not a part of the NSWWS service. These alerts are triggered based on PHE defined thresholds of when severe cold weather is likely to significantly affect people’s health. Dr Thomas Waite, a Consultant in Health Protection at Public Health England, said: “Weather like this is extremely rare in this country – and it brings very real risks to health. Those with heart and lung conditions, the over 65s and young children may struggle to cope in conditions like these and even the fit and well may feel the ill effects of this exceptional weather.

“Although the weather will vary from place to place staying warm will help keep you well. “Our advice is heat homes to at least 18C, to keep a close eye on weather forecasts and plan your day around them and think if there are people that you’re able to check up on, please do.” Forecaster Hannah Findley, of The Weather Channel, said: “More snow was likely with frontal systems moving warmer air into the bitterly cold flow, while lying snow was expected to persist for a few days.” The worst of the weekend snow is expected on Saturday, although Sunday could also offer the odd flurry. Temperatures will continue to sit below freezing for most of us, but there is some good news as Tuesday could bring slightly warmer conditions with the mercury rising to about 8C.

Here is the very latest forecast from the Met Office and the Weather Channel.

Friday night and Saturday:

Cloudy with further snow for most of the British isles. Minimum temperatures will be -1 to -4C, down to -7C over parts of Scotland. Yellow Warnings issued by the Met Office for Yorkshire until 23:55

Saturday:

“Snow showers are expected to continue over parts of northern Britain, bringing further accumulations of snow and a risk of icy stretches.“Further delays to travel and public transport could occur, whilst some rural communities could become or remain cut off. Further impacts to power supplies/mobile phone coverage are also possible.”

The Met Office Chief Forecaster’s assessment states: “Frequent snow showers are likely to continue feeding in from the North Sea on a very cold easterly wind.

“Due to the nature of showers, some places are expected to receive an additional 5-10 cm of snow per day, whereas other places nearby may only receive small amounts.

“Brisk winds will lead to some drifting of snow, as well as a severe wind chill, although these are expected to begin to ease through Friday. This is an update to expand the yellow warning area.”

Sunday:

Cloudy with mostly light snow, or sleet, in a gentle easterly wind and maximum temperatures of 2 to 4C. Staying cold in the north with further snow likely. Generally less windy.

Next week:

Cloudy and mostly dry with mostly light snow confined to the north of England. Snow showers on the Pennines.